BOSTON — This is the way it was on the crisp afternoon of Oct. 2, 1978, a fly ball to left field that went from a potential popup, to a possible warning track catch by the left fielder, to maybe a wall scraper, and then into history books.

A season marked by redemption added another chapter on Saturday night when Shane Victorino's fly ball in the seventh inning barely dropped over the green monster and became a game-winning grand slam, a pennant-clinching home run, for the Red Sox.

It was 35 years removed from Bucky Dent's identical-twin homer that cost Boston the 1978 AL East title in its playoff with the Yankees.

Victorino's slam brought the Red Sox from a 2-1 deficit to a 5-2 lead. The game finished that way and Boston had beaten the Tigers in the ALCS, 4 games to 2.

"At first I thought — did I get enough air under it to tie the game," Victorino said. "And then I thought — this could get up and over the wall. All the emotions went through my mind."

The victory sent the Red Sox into the World Series vs. the Cardinals. This edition of the Fall Classic, the first of which was played in 1903 a couple of miles down the road from here on Huntington Avenue, will commence Wednesday night.

It will be the fourth meeting between the Sox and St. Louis. The Cards won in 1946 and 1967, while Boston swept them in 2004. The pennant is the 12th for the Red Sox. They also won it in 1903, '04, '12, '15, '16, '18, '46, '67, '75, '86, 2004 and 2007.

It is the third for John Henry's ownership group, which includes team CEO Larry Lucchino. The 2004 and 2007 World Champions were assembled, in part, by Lucchino

"It's a cliché to talk about character," Lucchino said, "but sometimes it's just true, like now. John Henry and I were talking, a couple of days ago, about this one, and it's a different flavor of ice cream, but it tastes awfully good. 2004 was special because of how long it had been, but it has a different feeling this year, with how far we've come, and how many skeptics there were.

"We were scrappy, underrated and under-appreciated."

For much of the night it seemed as though the Red Sox were destined to lose. In the second inning, Dustin Pedroia ripped a bomb to left that looked like it would be a three-run homer for about 309 feet. However, it sizzled past the foul pole about six inches on the wrong side, and was just Strike One.

Then, with his team holding a 1-0 lead after scoring in the fifth off Max Scherzer, Clay Buchholz faltered and Detroit went ahead, 2-1. The runs came home on Victor Martinez' two-run single off reliever Franklin Morales, and why Morales was even in the game will be one of those unanswerable mysteries TV shows are done about.

Rookie Brandon Workman saved the night when he came into the gooey mess and got Jhonny Peralta to hit a double play ball to Dustin Pedroia, then struck out Alex Avila.

Pedroia's double play ended with Prince Fielder getting hung up between home and third for an out.

"I was trying to get him to hit the ball on the ground," Workman said of the Peralta at bat, "so we might be able to turn two and minimize the damage. Pedey made a great play – it was huge – but do you expect anything else from him?"

Still, Scherzer was pitching very well and the Red Sox' only hope seemed to be get him out of the game. They finally did in the seventh, when their fortunes began to turn.

Jonny Gomes led off with a double off the top of the wall, a ball that probably was hit three feet shorter than Victorino's. When Stephen Drew struck out, it looked again like a matter of inches might keep Boston off the scoreboard.

Rookie Xander Bogaerts walked for the second time on the night, reaching base for the third time in three plate appearances. That was it for Scherzer and Jim Leyland called for Drew Smyly to face Jacoby Ellsbury.

The strategy worked. Ellsbury hit a ground ball to Jose Iglesias, except that the gifted young shortstop bobbled it for an error, loading the bases. Jose Veras relieved Smyly and Victorino lofted one into the monster seats for Boston's second grand slam of the series.

The disheartened Tigers were set down in order by Craig Breslow in the eighth, then retired on one harmless hit by Koji Uehara in the ninth, who struck out Iglesias to end it.

Uehara was voted the Most Valuable Player of the ALCS, having earned the win in one Boston victory and a save in the three others. This was a relatively easy one.

"I knew I could give up some runs, so I felt a little more comfortable," Uehara said to reporters after the game, ending his interview with, "I am tired right now."

He has three days to rest, three days to recuperate, and three days to enjoy being on the best team in the American League in 2013.